“You are very petite,” said the instructor disapprovingly as I walked through the door of Scuba Iceland. What might normally be considered a hair-flipping compliment would in fact turn out to be a hindrance to one of my greatest adventures yet: scuba diving in Iceland.

The majority of those divers are heading to Silfra, a glacial-water-filled ravine that runs between the tectonic plates of Europe and North America. I’ve been dying to do this dive since I first heard about it years ago — I mean, did I mention the between-tectonic-plates bit?! So in Reykjavik, while my mom and sister set off on a South Coast day tour, I joined the team to submerge into what is often listed as one of the world’s top cold water dives.

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The trip started with an hour drive out to Thingvellir National Park, a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sight and first stop on the famed “Golden Circle” tours of Iceland. From there we started to get into our dry suits — an incredibly arduous process compared to my diving routine in Thailand, which is basically throwing on a bikini and jumping in.

See, I’m what people in the dive world might sneeringly refer to as a “warm water wussy” — I probably have done around 200 dives by now, but never in water any colder than the Bahamas in January, or Ibiza in July! Those temperatures are around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, which is nothing to sneer at and requires a thick wetsuit. But this would be my first time in a drysuit, which is a whole different level of diving.

I started with leggings, a long sleeve top, and thick wool socks. Over that went a jumpsuit that would act as insulation. On top of that went the drysuit itself as well as thick neoprene gloves and hoods. So far so good, but then the rubber bands came out. Tight bands went over my wrists and over my neck, meant to seal out water but also cause to complete strangulation. At this point my mild panic over trying drysuit diving for the first time started to escalate to fever pitch, which I now realize is a common side effect of lack of oxygen to the brain.

Here I am rocking that drysuit in the most stylish way possible — after all, Tom Cruise had been diving there the day before and I wasn’t about to let that crazy dude show me up (he was shooting a movie while we were in Iceland!)

The gear and weights continued to pile on and I realized now why the petite comment was not flattery. As I struggled to walk to the entrance to the dive site, the divemaster told me I had a full 35kg of gear on. I am completely ignorant of the metric system so I just kind of smiled and tried to look less like I was about to die. Later I Googled that situation and realized I was wearing EIGHTY POUNDS OF GEAR. Never in my life have I more joyously flopped into freezing water.

So many emotions whipped around in that first moment when I became fully submerged in glacial water — I had to force myself to slow down and hold onto the thoughts so I could remember them later. First I felt relief as the weight of the gear I was wearing was buoyed up by the water. Then — the water. Oh my God, I have never felt such all-encompassing cold in all of my life. It touched every part of me, and there was so no relief. I flicked through my memory bank to online reviews which promised I’d go numb to the cold after the first five minutes. Five minutes, I could last five minutes in this water. Um, again — the water. I felt like I was in a neon dream — never had I seen colors so bright or water so clear.

I took a few deep breaths and told myself to play this cool — I’m meant to be a fairly experienced diver, after all! Sometimes I think I make it through a lot of my most feared scuba situations (shark diving, night diving, now drysuit diving) simply because I tend to always dive with people way above my level and the last thing I want to do is look like the Hysterical Lady Diver in the group. After a few meditative breaths I was able to calm my cold-rattled brain into slowing down and absorbing the sensations around me. For a better idea of what I was experiencing, check out the diving clips in my One Week in Iceland video.

And there was so much beauty, so many dreamlike sights to absorb. When I tell people about this dive one of their first questions is usually, “What is there to see? Fish?” Well, there are some small trout in the lake, but they don’t often swim into the ravine. But who needs fish when you have stunning reds like these?

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Photo on right courtesy of Scuba Iceland

Or greens as amazing as these?

Or blues as brilliant as these?

Some views just looked like watercolor paintings.

Yet even in black and white, the topography alone would make this dive worthwhile. We moved from deep to shallow areas very rapidly — at some points we were practically snorkeling while at other times we got low to truly appreciate the enormity of the rift we were in. I kept reminding myself that if I turned to my left, I was looking at North America, while if I turned left — ta da! I was looking at Europe.

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Unfortunately, I was having some trouble being able to turn left or right. I realized on these dives that they teach drysuit diving as a full separate course for a reason! I have never felt so out of control of my buoyancy or mobility or depth before. It was actually a little frustrating to feel so helpless in the water, a place where I normally feel so comfortable. It was a struggle just to move — I felt like a newbie diver again!

Photo on right courtesy of Scuba Iceland

I was so focused on not crashing into the walls or flying up to the surface that it took my a while to realize something was actually kind of wrong with my face.

YOU GUYS. Can you say face bloat? I wanted to delete these underwater selfies as soon as I saw them but when I saw the joy and laughter they brought to friends I just had to share them with the entire internets. I’m no science blogger so I can only guess that my skin swelled in reaction to the freezing water temperatures! Remind me not to enter any Icelandic Underwater Beauty Contests anytime soon.

Because, oh, I did mention that the water was freezing, right? As in 2 degrees Celsius, a whopping 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit! And those people who claimed that I would go numb after five minutes? Liars. I mean, I guess you kind of get used to the shock, in a way, but I felt cold down to my bone for the entirety of both dives we did. The worst were my fingers and forehead, which were exposed to the water (our gloves were wetsuit material). In fact, five minutes into the second dive it took all the willpower I had not to signal and call the dive, I was in so much pain from what I can only describe as a brain freeze headache. It subsided but enough for me to carry on, but suffice to say — I am a warm water wussy!

However, one benefit of that icy water is its source — a nearby glacier. Such water is purer than anything you could ever find in a tap or in a bottle, and a few times during the dive I removed my regulator and took a few gulps!

Reaching Silfra Lagoon signals the end of the dive, a sandy area that accentuates one last time the unbelievable visibility of the water — up to 100 meters, or 300 feet! That is simply unparalleled in the dive world. Yet I must confess that despite the surreal and wonderful experience that those dives were, I was happy to get out of that drysuit and cold water and rip that rubber band from around my neck!

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I couldn’t recommend more highly for this trip. What could have been very intimidating and panic-inducing situations, they made safe and fun. I felt like I was diving with old friends — old friends who were much more brilliant and experienced divers than I, that is! In addition to the Silfra dive that I did, they also offer snorkeling trips, PADI courses, and extended trips to Iceland’s more far flung dives sites.

And one bonus thing I loved about them was that they took photos for me and gave them to me on a disc! I had my own with me, of course, but it was so wonderful to have photos of myself underwater… after all, I’m usually the one behind the lens.

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Unfortunately, relief was not immediate after crawling backward out of the lagoon, because we still had to walk back to the van. I truly struggled with the weight of everything and a few times I thought I could not stand another moment of pain in my shoulders and back. I suffered for it too — I was sore for days to come! But the group was kind and patient with me and I finally made it, dripping in sweat. I had done it. I had gone diving in Iceland.

Are you a diver too? Get thyself to Silfra, and soon! This is far and away the most popular dive site in Iceland. Instructor Kevin estimates that there are at least 20 divers a day there in the summer — a figure that would have been unheard of a few short years ago. While increased exposure has definitely boosted the site’s popularity, so has the economy. While this trip is still a big investment at 29,900 ISK (currency conversions are especially unstable right now — what was $230US while I was planning the trip is now $164US while I’m writing this piece!) it cost well over $500US a few short years ago.

However, there is a delicate ecosystem here and too many divers could upset that balance. I say go now, while things are still pristine — and ask your dive operator how you can help keep them that way.

I promise, you won’t regret diving in Iceland — this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Being between two tectonic plates, seeing the brightest neons nature has to offer, drinking glacial water throughout the dive — these are experiences that simply can’t be replicated anywhere else on the planet! And after struggling through the constant discomfort of the drysuit, the psychological challenge of the cold, and laboring with the weight of the equipment, I can certainly say that it was a hard-earned high. And that of course made it so much sweeter.

The next day, I returned to the site with my Mom and sister as we did a self-drive tour of the Golden Circle (post to come!) I showed them the transparent waters and they stuck their hands in before whipping them out, shrieking and wondering how I could ever go diving in such waters.

And I couldn’t really give them an answer. I don’t know how I went from a girl afraid of pools and paralyzed by the thought of sharks to a girl who wins scuba scholarships and goes diving in Iceland. Some days I feel like I’m just faking it! But not after this. After scuba diving in Iceland, I feel pretty damn hardcore.

Many thanks to Scuba Iceland for hosting me on this tour. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. All photos with an asterisk (*) were taken by Scuba Iceland, edited by me.

Hi Meihoukai,
I started reading your blog about a year ago, and I’ve now read every single one of your posts. I check the site daily (yep.. while I’m at work!). I’m hoping to take a RTW trip in 6-7 years and your blog is a great inspiration. Yours is one of 3 travel blogs that I check regularly. I love reading all about your travels and adventures. Keep it up and stay safe!

Kelly thank you so much for this amazing comment…. you made my day! I’m so glad to hear I’ve been an inspiration, and I’m honored to be one of the 3 blogs you sneak at work (I used to do the same at school!) Keep dreaming and planning… and keep commenting too 🙂

The visibility is incredible! What a gorgeous place to dive. I recently got certified and would be too scared to do it anytime soon with the heavy suit and equipment and almost freezing water. So awesome that you pushed yourself and did it though – super hardcore! Truly unique experience.Meihoukaia Hart recently posted..

I got certified in Coron, Philippines – lots of wreck diving! There is also a really cool lake that I wanted to dive but didn’t get to do it. It’s called Barracuda Lake, and it has a unique thermocline, where the lake feels like a jacuzzi.Meihoukaia Hart recently posted..

Your photos really are magical, Meihoukai! Although your descriptions of how icy cold the water was do give me pause, I know that if we make it to Iceland, I will have to try this for myself (at least snorkeling). The color of the water is out of this world… it must have truly felt like you were on another planet!Steph (@ 20 Years Hence) recently posted..

This is definitely a site that would be (almost!) equally impressive as a snorkeler, since so much of it is actually quite shallow and the water is SO clear. Definitely Scuba Iceland when the time comes!

You are truly and utterly insane–and I love it. While these underwater landscapes are stunning, I don’t think I could take the heat–or rather, cold! I never even made it into the water in California, after all.Camels & Chocolate recently posted..

Is it weird that I like the idea of being known as the CRAY CRAY blogger? Because I really do. However, sometimes I think I do things just to have said I’ve done them. Luckily in this case it was totally worth it!

I am petrified of diving, because I am scared of all kinds of fish and open water just freaks me out, but this seems really safe for a strange reason. I am not sure why, but maybe the knowledge that no fish could bite through all these layers. 🙂 The photos are amazing by the way. Loving the colours. Maybe one day I will beat my inner fear and go for it as well.TammyOnTheMove recently posted..

Thanks Aparna! You can do a “try dive” most places in the world that doesn’t require certification, but to really get into the sport you’ll have to do a 3-4 day Open Water Course with PADI or SSI or another certification agency.

This looks so amazing… scuba diving and Iceland had never occurred to me as a combination but it seems to be a great one! Iceland is definitely on my “to-travel list” and might I add I love your blog!!

Wow! Those photos are amazing! We didn’t even think about scuba diving in Iceland. Giselle plans on getting her diving certification here in Thailand, so we’ll have to put diving in Iceland on our bucket list!

Nice! You’ll be catching the end of the monsoon season, so hopefully crowds are low and sun is shining! Check out Roctopus Dive, they are friends of mine and will take great care of you — just tell them Meihoukai sent ya 🙂

All right, now you’ve got me totally freaked about doing this in a week. I was wearing about 90 lbs of equipment today when we finished our dry suit certification course and it was KILLING me just carrying to & from the water. And the cold? Crap. I hope I can hack it….

P.S. What gear did they use? I’m curious if we should bring any of our stuff or if they’ll kit us out completely. I have tiny hands & don’t want to get stuck with ill-fitting gloves, etc.

Oh no, I didn’t mean to dissuade anyone! Believe me, it’s worth the cold and the suffering! I would say if you have something small you want to bring, like gloves, you should just bring it for peace of mind (I brought my trusty mask) but I’m sure they have a wide range of gear.

Hi Meihoukai,
followed your blog since diving koh tao this march…
So funny reading about your hike back to the van with all the gear…thumbs up! Respect for fighting yourself back! Can feel your struggle…
Amazing colors on those pics…where they like this irl or did photoshop them a little?
Thanks for a fantastic blog!

Sounds like an amazing experience Meihoukai, if a little scary at first. I’m quite new to scuba diving but there are so many places I’d love to visit and dive. Your blog is really inspiring. Stunning images too xClaire recently posted..

Wow! The water looks amazing, so crazy clear! I have to go diving there one day! The pictures are beautiful, and it really makes me miss diving. And the drinking the water while diving part is fun, I have been really thirsty sometimes when diving, and wish I could do that :D!Åsta recently posted..

Hello! Beautiful blog and beautiful pictures. I having been wanting to dive for as long as I can remember, I am almost certain I will be signing up for a diving course this summer offered by my university. One concern I have is that just like you, I am very petite! I am 4’9. Would you be able to offer some insight on how this could affect my diving experience? Would I require more weights, making it harder for me to walk on land? And if a certain dive location has one standard size tanks I would imagine it would be difficult to swim with?
I look forward to hearing from you 🙂

Hey Jess! There are actually smaller tanks that are sometimes used for children or very petite adults, and you can always request those. I’m 5’1″ and I recently learned how to properly carry tanks. They actually aren’t as heavy as you might think, just awkward. But honestly, as a recreational diver you won’t have to worry about that much! Once your course is over staff will typically carry your gear for you and set it up and tear it down. Of course being tall and strong is an advantage in many physical activities, but I wouldn’t let it stand in your way here! Good luck Jess 🙂

Wow, great write up with some great pictures. A surprising amount of color! If you’re looking for more color and a wee bit more comfortable ocean temperature look us up in Fiji. Keep diving!Dive Wananavu Fiji recently posted..

Hi Meihoukai. Your photographs are amazing and it has been really interesting reading about your experience. We are visiting Iceland in February for a family weekend away and I had already decided to dive Silfra. I only have 7 dives so far and I’m not very good! But I’m taking the drysuit course in preparation. I’m really nervous and also very excited about this dive and reading about your experience has made me more determined. I’m not a natural and I know I will be the ‘Hysterical Lady Diver’ in the group, but what an exerience. Thank you for sharing.

Hi Meihoukai. I did it! And I wasn’t the ‘Hysterical Lady Diver’ that I thought I’d be. I did very nearly pull out though, I was really worried that something would go wrong. But it was truly amazing and I’m determined to go back again when I have more diving experience to appreciate it more. So my next dive adventure is the Maldives. I’ll be there for a week so will hopefully build my confidence and come home a much more confident diver. It’s so interesting reading about your travels, I hope to go to more of these places someday.

Nice work Sharron! I’m so happy to hear you had a great experience! And the Maldives, nice — I’m envious! I’m sure that will be much more comfortable dive conditions and you’ll fall even more in love 🙂

Wow, that’s a tough question 🙂 The most beautiful sights I’ve seen underwater were definitely in the Philippines. But I’ve also had really special dives elsewhere like a night dive with manta rays in Hawaii!

Just read your post about diving in Iceland. That must have been awesome!! I have actually just re-read you diving posts and the ones about the Cannon s100. After reading your post 6 months ago I purchased the Cannon S100, Ikelite case and a sea and sea strobe. I am leaving for Akumal Mexico for 11 days of diving for my 63rd birthday on Friday and will do the Blackbeard in September. I enjoy diving, having just learned two years ago. The class was a birthday gift from my wife for my 61st birthday… I only wish I had taken up this sport earlier in life. If my pictures turn out half as good as yours I will be happy…

Beautiful photos! I’ve always wanted to dive Iceland. I especially love the green plants that look like silly string! We dive in drysuits year-round here in California, but the water is quite a bit warmer!Ashley Hauck recently posted..

Hi Meihoukai! I’m a new reader of yours. I was directed from your Canon S100 post. I would like to know if you did any post-editing to those underwater pictures or used any dive filters because those pictures are gorgeous!

Hey Alya! I put my camera on the underwater setting and I ALWAYS edit my underwater photos using Adobe Bridge and Adobe Photoshop. They tend to need a clarity bump, some color correcting, and a little noise reduction to look the way I saw them through the lens 🙂

Hi Shermaine, you should the dive companies to discuss your situation but I would think not. I found it difficult as an experienced diver because I had never been in a dry suit before. The good news is you can always snorkel, and you’ll get much of the same views!

Wow, beautiful! I’m not an experienced diver by any means (1 dive… woo!) but I LOVED my experience in Australia and have been craving another dive since. I’m planning my honeymoon in Iceland and I’m wondering if I should add an experience like this to my itinerary, even though I’m a major beginner. Would you say this is only best for advanced divers?

Hey Amanda, hm…. well, there is always a snorkeling option available if you’re hesitant. Diving with a dry suit is pretty tricky — it might be a little overwhelming for someone with just one dive. Maybe one of the dive and snorkel operators and ask which they think would be a better fit for someone with your experience level. Best of luck and happy honeymoon!

Such amazing colors! I recently discovered you blog and making my way through all your old posts. Today I’m doing my last 2 OW check-out dives in 45 degree water with a 7mm wetsuit. I would love to be in a dry suit but the dive shop isn’t keen on that until I get dry suit certified.

Thanks Joel! The colors were simply radioactive. It was the best thing about the dive! When I tell people I went diving in a glacial lake they ask, “were there fish?” and I say no… but I didn’t miss them!

I am going to have my first dive in dry suit soon and I remember your blog post. I am also a petite (4ft10). I would like to hear further about your trouble with dry suit and scuba gear in this dive. Hope to hear from you.

Hey Joel, I wish I could give you more details but I don’t really have/remember any other than what I wrote in this post. I mostly struggled with the weight of the gear while walking to and from the water entry. Apologies I don’t have any more to tell ya. Good luck!

Hey Meihoukai! Amazing pictures 🙂 I saw your above comment about filters. I am going to dive Silfra in 2 weeks time and I was wondering if you would recommend using a red dive filter? I will be filming with gopro cameras only and was wondering if a red dive filter will ease the post production process and make the photos better. Thanks in advance for your advice!

Silfra is a pretty shallow dive site, so a red filter might be overkill — or at least it would be on my camera. I just use the underwater setting on the camera. Honestly I’ve never been diving with my GoPro, so I’m not sure what would happen if you popped a red filter on there. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!

Wow, those photos are incredible. So far I have only had the chance to dive in tropical waters and a bit in the pacific in Costa Rica but Iceland just skyrocketed to the top of my list! those rock landscapes look surreal. thanks so much for sharing. safe travels!

Since hearing of it about a year ago this dive is on my scuba bucket list. The only reason why I haven’t traveled there yet is the temperature but after reading your article it definitely sounds and looks like it is worth it!Sandy Cacchione recently posted..

This post was awesome! I’m going to be diving at Silfra in a couple of days and am quite nervous because, like you, it will be my first dry suit dive. I’m been thinking about cancelling but this post has given me courage! Thank you for sharing your experience!

Hey Rob! I went in June which I thought was an amazing time overall to visit Iceland. That said, my divemasters told me that they loved diving in the middle of winter, because the water felt warm and toasty compared to the air — ha ha! Basically, I don’t think there’s a bad time to go. Consider what topside activities you want to do as well!

I have been following your blog a couple years now – your insight was so helpful when we did the Inca Trail this past December! I am currently planning a trip to Iceland and have found that all the dive operations require that you receive a dry suit certification to dive Silfra or log at least 10 dry suit dives. I believe this is a recent development over the past couple of years. Did you think Silfra was so amazing that, if you had to do it all over again, you would pay to get the dry suit certification on top of the dive itself, which now is around $400 USD? I hate to pass up the opportunity for a great dive, but also am wondering if it was that amazing that it’s cost efficient for me to get an extra certification that I likely won’t use going forward since I, also, am a “warm water wussy”. Would love your thoughts on if you thought it was worth it. Thanks so much!

Hey Adair! So nice to hear from a long time reader — thanks for saying hi! Hm, you really have a tough question here. Bummer that the prices have gone back up (though nice for Iceland’s economy, I suppose!) and that you now must obtain a drysuit certification. I actually really enjoy doing PADI courses and really probably would have benefited from a course before jumping into the deep end so to say with drysuit, but it’s tough when you know that it’s not something you won’t use much moving forward.

Unfortunately I won’t have a good answer for you! I think the real answer lies in how much money you are comfortable spending on a one-off experience. One compromise-ish suggestion: perhaps you could snorkel instead? Cheaper and no cert required! Hope that helps!

I'm a New York native who left my home to explore the world slowly and thoroughly. I’m just a little obsessed with photography, scuba diving, and reading guidebooks to countries I have no immediate plans to visit.